Paper short abstract:

This paper seeks to problematise the social construction of Gypsy and Traveller identity in British planning law and policy, by examining planning appeal decisions through a theoretical framework of discourse analysis informed by, among others, the work of Foucault, Lacan, Laclau and Mouffe.

Paper long abstract:

Gypsies and Travellers in Britain are marginalised through a social construction of their 'otherness' and their alleged 'flouting' of laws and wider social norms. Attempts are made to construct and fix the identity of Gypsies and Travellers as contra to a wider social good. Popular constructions in political, social and media debate caricature polarising images of 'real' and 'fake' Gypsies (Richardson, 2006) that play out in planning and other public policy debates and which impact on decisions to give or refuse planning permission for sites. Representations of Gypsy and Traveller as legal entities in British planning law are just one aspect of the wider construction of identity; there are also debates in the press and parliament which take on a Lacanian fantasmatic character to allow for enjoyment of political and business goals that can be furthered through this marginalisation and 'othering' of Gypsies and Travellers.

This paper seeks to problematise the construction of Gypsy and Traveller identity in British planning by examining the discourse of planning officers, Gypsies and Travellers, local 'settled' members of the community, councillors and MPs in some key recent planning appeal decisions, as well as in the wider debate on council approaches to planning for future sites in local plans. This analysis will occur in the theoretical paradigm which examines the work of Foucault, Lacan, Laclau and Mouffe on discourse, and the important anthropological work of Okely and of Silverman in the field of Gypsies and Traveller research.